Key Takeaways:
- Bloomfield Robotics has been acquired by Kubota North America Corporation, enhancing AI-driven crop health monitoring.
- Bloomfield’s technology provides plant-level health assessments for specialty crops, including grapes and blueberries.
- The acquisition supports Kubota’s strategic vision for developing comprehensive smart agriculture solutions.
- AI-powered imaging systems help growers optimize harvest timing, reduce labor costs, and improve asset utilization.
Acquisition Announcement
Kubota Corporation, through its North American subsidiary, Kubota North America Corporation, has acquired Bloomfield Robotics, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company known for its advanced imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Bloomfield specializes in providing plant-level health and performance assessments for growers of specialty crops across seven countries and three continents.
Strategic Alignment with Kubota’s Vision
This acquisition builds on the existing collaboration between Kubota and Bloomfield Robotics, as part of Kubota’s open innovation initiative. M. Brett McMickell, Chief Technology Officer for Kubota North America, emphasized:
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of Bloomfield Robotics, a natural evolution of our successful partnership. Combining AI-driven technology with our legacy quality products will enable Kubota to solve real issues facing agriculture. This acquisition is a key milestone for Kubota’s strategic vision to provide comprehensive smart agriculture solutions.”
Bloomfield’s Technology and SaaS
At the core of Bloomfield’s offerings are its purpose-built cameras that integrate into a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. These cameras are mounted on tractors or other farm vehicles, capturing detailed, geo-located images of individual plants across the farm. Bloomfield’s AI technology analyzes these images to provide data on fruit size, color, and maturity, helping farmers optimize harvest timing and operational efficiency.
Comments from Bloomfield Robotics’ CEO
Mark DeSantis, President and CEO of Bloomfield Robotics, spoke on the acquisition: “The Bloomfield vision from our founding was to provide continuous plant-level knowledge to every specialty crop farmer around the world. This acquisition brings that vision forward at a scale and speed we could not have imagined. We’ve been working closely with Kubota for over two years, and we’re truly excited for what’s to come.”
Focus on Specialty Crop Automation
Kubota’s acquisition of Bloomfield Robotics is part of its larger focus on mechanization and automation in the specialty crop market. The integration of Bloomfield’s data-driven technology with Kubota’s agricultural equipment aims to enhance the efficiency of farming practices for crops like fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, addressing challenges related to automation in this sector.
Bloomfield Robotics Latest News
Bloomfield Robotics Gets Investment Boost For AI Plant Imaging Tech (2023/01/18)
The Pittsburgh-based company, Bloomfield Robotics, has announced investments from Kubota Corporation and Oeneo Group SA, in order to strengthen its AI-driven plant imaging technology for use in specialty crops. Kubota, a global leader in the design and manufacture of agricultural tractors, is renewing its investment in Bloomfield, with the aim of ensuring that each farm vehicle becomes a platform for continuous data collection to assess both the health and performance of each plant in the specialty crop sector. The company’s investment reflects Kubota’s confidence in Bloomfield’s ability to provide plant-level insights to help growers make more informed management decisions.
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